On January 12, 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama, gave his final State of the Union address to a joint meeting of Congress, a portion of the Supreme Court (notably absent were conservative justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito), military officers, and special guests. Known for his ability to speak from the heart to thousands as if he were speaking to one, Obama made a point to call out his administration’s accomplishments while singling out his party’s disagreements with the Republican establishment, and Donald Trump indirectly.
A good humor was palpable across the television screen as funny moments received their due chuckles from both sides of the aisle. But that was where the unity ended. When asked about the address, one anonymous Obama supporter said, “For those keeping score at home, here are just some of the issues that President Obama raised during Tuesday’s State of the Union address that Republican Senators and Congressmen in attendance refused to clap for:
Nearly 15 million new jobs and the unemployment rate being cut in half.
Equality for all Americans.
Cutting pollution levels.
A good education for our children.
Fighting terrorism.
The idea that America is the strongest nation on earth.
Avoiding war.
Making it easier to vote.
And—drumroll, please—saving the best for last …
Curing cancer!”
But in addition to the progress made in the last seven years, Obama noted that he still has plenty he intends to fight for in his last lap in office. In his speech, Obama directly named:
Teaching kids how to code computer language
Protecting kids from gun violence
Fighting to protect the environment
Paid leave for all of America’s workers
Raising the minimum wage
and
Fixing a broken immigration system
K12 students are encouraged to catch the State of the Union in its entirety by pressing the link above this article. Further information about the President’s agenda for his final term in office can be found at www.whitehouse.gov. Once there, an option can be accepted to follow all announcements made from the White House via Twitter or Facebook.
Sources:
"President Obama's 2016 State of the Union Address." Medium. N.p., 12 Jan. 2016. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
"Three Conservative Supreme Court Justices Skip State of the Union." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
Image credits:
https://medium.com/@WhiteHouse/president-obama-s-2016-state-of-the-union-address-7c06300f9726#.t4ooqc2pm
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